UPDATE: Bruce Bochy said Penny’s first minor-league stop, after extended spring training, will be Triple-A Fresno.

Expectations: “We have an experienced guy here who can pitch in the bullpen. He could start. It’s what he’s always done. He wants to be here. That’s what was important to us. He’s healthy. We had doctors look at him. He’s going to go down to Fresno at some point. He’s missing time. Just going to get back in the shape he needs to be to get up here. He’s close. He needs some work. He’ll get ready to help us at some point. We signed him to be here.”

On Japan: “It just didn’t work out. He wasn’t happy where he was over there. He wanted to come back here. The shoulder or elbow, that’s not an issue. He showed it today in the bullpen. We’ll make sure he is healthy and make sure he will help us. It’ll take a little time. When he thinks he’s ready and he thinks he’s ready, it’ll be a mutual agreement, and we’ll have him here to help us.”

John Shea from the ballpark . . . (ORIGINAL POST)

Brad Penny is a Giant again. Well, at least he’s a Giants minor-leaguer. The pitcher who went 4-1 with a 2.59 ERA in six September starts for the 2009 Giants, signed a minor-league deal and will report to extended spring training on Monday.

The Giants see him as a possible reliever. Brian Wilson is done for the season, and Guillermo Mota is serving a 100-game drug suspension.

Penny turned his brief time in San Francisco into a $7.5 million deal with the Cardinals in 2010, and he pitched for Detroit last year. This year, he was in Japan but only briefly.